Zs / Child Abuse split 7" Zum022
Child Abuse have several releases such as their full-length on Love Pump and a split 7" with Octis (Mick Barr) but we first knew of their Bay Area projects prior to relocating to NY. Oran Canfield (celebrated memoirist) was in Dig That Body Up...It's Alive and Optimists International (as well as rolling in Murder Murder and numerous others). Luke Calzonetti played in Meths, ABK, and Sheath prior to starting up Child Abuse. After a series of drums and keyboard recordings, they added bassist Tim Dahl and the prog-fused assault went up a significant notch. This 7" includes a version of a Dolphy tune "Hat and Beard" along with the synth squak of "Conversations". Bits of Goblin and the Locust blasted through the 8th dimension if you grok.
Zs have enchanted and confounded in their many incarnations (mirrored sextet replete with sheet music stands, quartet, and now trio) since their 2000 naissance as composition students in Manhattan. Output has run the gamut of modern day guiding lights such as Troubleman Unlimited, Planaria, Gilgongo, and 31G. "In My Dream I Shot A Monk" harkens to a vintage mid '00s Zs sound that dovetails nicely with their current output, a beyond aggro vocal workout with epic man-angst you can smell in the grooves. A favorite of Howard Stern's morning zoo.
Black vinyl pressing of 500. Cover artwork from John P Dwyer.